Republicans Hang Pawlenty Out to Dry

The end may finally be near in Minnesota Senate race

(NEWSER) - Minnesota’s Senate contest seems poised to end at long last, the Minnesota Independent reports. Election-law experts are sure that the Minnesota Supreme Court will shoot down Norm Coleman’s appeal, and it will probably be unanimous in doing so. “What he’s asked the Supreme Court to do is to ignore Minnesota law,” said one law professor. “There didn’t seem to be a single justice for whom this works.” More»

(NEWSER) - Tim Pawlenty will not seek a third term as Minnesota governor, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. Pawlenty is seen as a probable Republican candidate for 2012, but he was mum on the subject. “I don’t have any plans beyond serving out my term,” he said today. “I’m not ruling anything in or out.” He said he was leaving office to open up the field to others. More»

Both candidates low on cash

(NEWSER) - A whopping 63% of Minnesota voters want Norm Coleman to concede the Senate race to Al Franken, with only 37% supporting more appeals, according to a new survey from Public Policy Polling. Another 59% said they want Gov. Tim Pawlenty to certify Franken’s victory. “It appears that most Minnesota voters are now ready for this election to be over,” said the pollster. More»

Numbers don't add up in improbable challenge: Silver

(NEWSER) - Norm Coleman’s chances of victory are so thin they’ve entered “Calista Flockhart territory,” yet he shows no sign of winding down his expensive legal battle, writes Nate Silver, the stat guru behind FiveThirtyEight.com. Just how expensive? Silver estimates that Coleman’s spending about $20,740 a day to pay his lawyers and keep his campaign running. And Silver doesn’t think he’s getting his money’s worth. More»

Months after vote, legal course murky

(NEWSER) - With the Minnesota court ruling on the Senate race between Al Franken and Norm Coleman just days away, GOP honchos are warning that if they lose this round, they plan to go all the way to the highest court, even if it leaves the state's voters without a senator for years. In the meantime, if Dems dare to try to seat Al Franken, says Texas Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, it will spark “World War III.” More»